Rains And Floods in India Have Killed 718 People so far in 2018; Know States With Highest Number of Deaths

New Delhi, August 11: The year 2018 is proving to be a disaster year as far as deaths due to rains and monsoon are concerned. According to a data released by the Home Ministry, as many as 718 people have lost their lives due to flood related incidents and heavy rainfall in India. This data comes in, even as Kerala floodscontinue to ravage the state, which is suffering its worst floods in the history.

The Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), in its data, mentioned that 171 people have lost their lives in Uttar Pradesh, 170 lives have been snuffed out in West Bengal, 178 have died in Kerala, a number which is feared to go up as 8 out of 14 districts are under Red Alert. Even Maharashtra has witnessed 139 deaths due to heavy rainfall.

A total of 26 people were also missing in Kerala (21) and West Bengal (5) while 244 others received injuries in rain-related incidents in the states.

The deluge and rains have hit 26 districts in Maharashtra, 22 in West Bengal, 23 in Assam, 14 in Kerala, 12 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 Nagaland and 10 in Gujarat.

In Assam, 11.45 lakh people have borne the brunt of rains and floods, which also hit crops in 27,552 hectres of land.

Altogether 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in rescue and relief operations in Assam, the NERC said. A team of the NDRF comprises 45 personnel.

Eight NDRF teams were deployed in Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, seven in Gujarat, four each in Kerala and Maharashtra and one in Nagaland.

Coming to Kerala floods, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has announced an ex-gratia Rs 4 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 10 Lakh compensation to those who lost their houses and land, reported news agency ANI, even as Red Alert has been issued for Idukki and Wayanad till August 14 and Orange alert till August 15. Red Alert for Kannur till August 13 and Orange alert till August 15, have been issued by the India Meteorological Department.